FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL, DISCOUNTED LAND SALE TO DATA CENTER DEVELOPER STARWOOD CAPITAL GROUP AMIDST PUBLIC OUTCRY
Save Bren Mar Coalition condemns the backroom deal with Starwood Capital, citing tens of millions in lost taxpayer revenue, a blatant disregard for competitive bidding precedent, and impact to residents.
FAIRFAX, VA — In a move that local advocates are calling a profound breach of public trust, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the unsolicited sale of county-owned land to controversial data center developer Starwood Capital Group. The sale, which bypassed standard competitive bidding and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes, hands over prime real estate at a deeply discounted rate.
In response to the shocking decision, which was pushed through via a highly confidential process, Tyler Ray, Founder of the Save Bren Mar Coalition, released the following statement:
“Tonight, the Board of Supervisors under Vice Chairman Kathy Smith’s direction proved they are more interested in backroom deals with data center developers than protecting Fairfax County residents. By handing over public land at a deep discount and bypassing an open and transparent competitive bidding process, they left tens of millions of dollars on the table and betrayed the public's trust. It is clear data center developers currently control this county.”
The approved sale breaks with established county precedent. Over the past decade, significant county land sales—including North Hill, Dulles Greene, the Residences at Government Center II, the Lorton Landfill, and many others—have utilized the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) or a rigorous RFP process to ensure the county secures the highest and best use for public assets.
By avoiding the open market, the Board of Supervisors accepted a baseline appraisal of $4 million per acre for a by-right project that will not undergo further public scrutiny. Recent data center land sales in Northern Virginia have commanded between $6 million and $9 million per acre. The Coalition estimates the county left between $33 million and $208 million in potential revenue on the table based on those sale ranges.
Furthermore, the Save Bren Mar Coalition highlighted Starwood Capital’s troubling track record in the county. The developer is currently behind several highly criticized projects, including the Plaza 500 data center, which the Virginia Legislature’s Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) specifically called out for being placed "too close to residential zones." Despite public outcry, Starwood has refused to relocate a massive 5-acre electrical substation planned just 67 feet from residents' homes. The same developer is also developing a data center that places polluting diesel generators a mere 50 feet from the residents of the Meadows of Chantilly mobile home community in Vice Chairman Kathy Smith’s district (Sully).
"The Board had every right and responsibility to say 'no' to this unsolicited offer and initiate an open, transparent process," Ray added. "Instead, they chose to stay silent, rewarding anti-resident development practices with a taxpayer-subsidized gift. The residents of Fairfax County will remember this."